Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Freedom Writers Diary, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Ethnicity, and Tolerance
Education and Healing
Family and Home
Violence, War, and Death
Summary
Analysis
This student shares her excitement at being in Washington, D.C. Her father is very strict and has forbidden her from taking part in any Freedom Writers field trips. At home, she is not even allowed to talk to people on the phone. When her father suddenly left for Mexico a few days before the trip to Washington, however, she asked her mom if she could go and was surprised to hear her mom agree. Despite her fear of her husband, her mother decided to let her take part in a trip that she felt she deserved.
This student’s family situation demonstrates that hard work and perseverance are not the only obstacles Freedom Writers face, since their very own families can prevent them from expressing themselves and finding their freedom. At the same time, students can also realize that they have unexpected allies in difficult situations—such as, in this case, this student’s mother.
Themes
Having never left her mother for more than a day before, she feels nervous and excited. On the day she leaves, all her relatives are there to wish her well. Her mother tells her to take advantage of this opportunity and that she is proud of her, which makes the student feel immensely motivated. She feels excited and plans to share with her mother everything she experiences.
The student’s personal journey of discovery cannot be seen as an isolated event. Rather, in the same way that she is traveling to Washington to share her story with the world, she is also able to share her story with her own family, thereby changing her life in more ways than one.
Themes
